Clyde eyes Masters repeat

Clyde Mondilla sets out for defense of his young career’s most memorable victory, hoping to put together in three weeks time a game that had seemed to break up early in the season.

A tied for 24th in The Country Club Invitational, a 56th finish in the Solaire Philippine Open and missed cut stints in the Eagle Ridge Challenge and the Delimondo National Pro-am do not augur well for a player eager to make it two-in-row in the ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters unfolding on May 23.

But the reticent former national champion has vowed to do everything to get back in shape and regain the confidence he would need in his title-retention drive against a crack international field in the P2 million event put up by ICTSI in cooperation with the Villamor Golf Club, the home of the Masters.

“I just need to practice more to get back into shape and at the same time polish my short game and putting,” said Mondilla, who rallied to edge Tony Lascuña, Jhonnel Ababa and American Nicolas Paez by one and snare last year’s revival of one of local version’s four majors.

Meanwhile, Villamor is being spruced up in time for the blue-ribbon event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by BDO, KZG, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Sharp, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and PLDT.

Though Villamor looks vulnerable to the tour’s long hitters, particularly the young turks, the tree-lined military layout remains challenging even to the toughest in the fold with dangers lurking in every corner of the tight layout.

The Masters win also highlighted his four-victory romp last year, including the PGA Asia at Riviera that netted him the Philippine Golf Tour’s Order of Merit title.